In his first interview since being acquitted of child pornography charges, R. Kelly dismissed allegations that he ever preyed on young girls, telling BET News: “I don’t like anyone illegal.”

Kelly also said he was relieved when the trial was over, and that his upcoming album would feature less of the sexually charged material that has come to define his multiplatinum career.

“I’m really trying to make this album … a little bit different,” he said in an interview that aired on the network on Tuesday. “Take a little bit of the edge off, you know? And you know, clean up a few lyrics if I can, you know?”

When asked if he liked teenage girls, Kelly replied: “When you say teenage, how — how old are we talkin’ … 19?”

“I have some 19-year-old friends,” he added. “But I don’t like anybody illegal, if that’s what we’re talking about, underage.”